Food and Drink – Page 2

Siemens Dishwasher Door

17. August 2009 · 1 comment · Categories: Design, Food and Drink

When is a Dishwasher door not a dishwasher door? When it's a jar.

That's a joke by the way. It's especially a joke if you have a Siemens dishwasher who's door is not designed to be left ajar. You can have it fully open, or fully closed, but it won't rest in any position in-between unless you prop it open, e.g. with a cork or other handy item that you may have to hand, as per my picture below.

Why would I want to prop it open? Because after it's finished, if you open the door for 15 minutes then the residual heat dries the contents just nicely, as long as the steam can escape. If you don't open the door, you can look forward to plates and glasses that still need the attention of a tea towel, even several hours after the machine finishes its cycle. Leaving the door fully open is asking for a kitchen accident of course, so that's not really an option. This door ajar approach is standard practice with any dishwasher, no? Maybe I'm alone in this, but every other dishwasher I've come across neatly sits open a few inches to facilitate my whim, and it's got to be trivially easy to manufacture into the door mechanism. Certainly my posh Siemens dishwasher would look a lot better without the cork.

Beer Review: Arkell’s 3B

11. August 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Beer, Food and Drink

A mobile beer review today! Who says variety is dead?

Here we see pictured the can of Arkell's 3B that quenched my frazzled business brain after a hard day out of the office a month or so ago. This was on a train back from Swindon to London to be precise, and I have to say that the availability of a half decent drop of bitter on the train was a pleasant surprise. Arkell's is actually a Swindon based brewery too, so it's nice to see the big nasty train company keeping the food miles down and offering local producers.

It's got a decent colour to it, and the well rounded maltiness you'd hope to find from that colour. At 4% the weight is just about right for the circumstances. All in all it was very welcome and dare I say even recommended if you find yourself near Swindon on a train, even out of a small plastic cup!

Beer Review: Grolsch Premium Weizen

08. August 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Beer, Food and Drink

Another pretender to the weiss throne? Not a bad one by all accounts, and with some hint of a reward round it's neck from the World Beer Awards – though it's not clear what exactly from that label. The website suggests it is in fact the world's best wheat beer and details some funky manoeuvres required to pour it properly and get the tasty sediment mixed in just right. I'd struggle to tell it from any other to be honest, but couldn't say anything bad about it. I think at some point I'm going to have to line up a bunch of weissbiers and really play them off against each other!

Beer Review: Asahi Super Dry

23. July 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Beer, Food and Drink

This Japanese import is surprisingly decent, but nothing special. It's clean and crisp, and ideally drunk well chilled. There's nothing particularly notable about it that I can pick out, but it steers clear of tasting like weak/sweet American rubbish. I wouldn't go out of my way to drink it, but it's a decent enough simple lager on a hot day.

Done it again

22. July 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Food and Drink

Is this a familiar sight? A pile of fresh herbs ready to garnish your meal, but discovered in the kitchen only when you bring the empty plates back in. In this case, fresh torn basil straight off the plant. And unfortunately, straight into the bin after sitting around unloved in the kitchen for half an hour whilst we ate a very nice dinner that just lacked that certain something.

Beer Review: Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer

15. July 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Beer, Food and Drink

I bought this in the hope that it might be in some sense a real beer, but it's basically just an alcopop. Not being a complete fool, I realistically expected that to be the case but assumed that it might at least be quite a special and interesting variant on the ginger beer theme. I like a nice ginger beer, but this is nothing special I'm afraid – sweet and straightforward. It might be just the right drink for certain circumstances, but I can't see myself buying it again.

Beer Review: Fuller’s HoneyDew

14. July 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Beer, Food and Drink

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this before now as it's a classic and a firm favourite of mine. At 5% ABV and with just enough honey to notice but not overpower, this is a well balanced brew. This is true in every sense with not too much bitterness either – just enough to counter the sweetness. It doesn't taste as alcoholic as it is and I reckon it's a perfect if-you're-going-to-have-just-one-beer-in-an-evening beverage. I prefer it reasonably chilled – more so than less sweet ales – which probably makes me a philistine, but so be it. It's quite similar in style to some of the more floral, sweet and spicy Badger beers, of which I am also a huge fan.

Beer Review: Lindemans Framboise

19. June 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Beer, Food and Drink

This is a decidedly exotic beer. In fact you may struggle to identify it as beer at all if presented a glass of it. To look at, it's a deep, ever so slightly cloudy colour that can only really be described as 'raspberry'. Which isn't surprising because that's what's in it – 30% of it in fact.

It tastes like finely sparkling raspberry juice with a slightly tart/sour beery edge. Those non-fruit flavours are the Belgian Lambic beer – fermented with yeasts that simply drift in on the air and give Lambics their characteristic sourness – just like sourdough bread in principle. Some Lambics can be face-puckeringly sour, but this has so much sweet fruit that it's tempered to just a cheeky edge that's enough to make it interesting. At only 2.5% alcohol by volume and with so much fruit, it's got to be almost good for you! Ones probably enough at one sitting though, before moving onto something a bit more normal.

Beer Review: Brains SA Gold

10. June 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Beer, Food and Drink

From Wales via the supermarket shelf, this beer is a revelation. You're not going to remember it for any particularly unusual flavour – but for its perfect balance and all round loveliness. It's a classic summery golden ale, not too strong at 4.7% but with enough might to assert itself and a really clean, not too bitter taste. I could have drunk it all evening, but I only had the one bottle. The can of Greene King IPA I had after it only highlighted just how good the Brains was.

Beer Review: Erdinger

07. June 2009 · Write a comment · Categories: Beer, Food and Drink

A common classic in the field of weissbeers but, on this tasting at least, nothing to get too excited about. It's good, but not stunning. Maybe you have to be in the right mindset and the right physical location to really appreciate a beer like this. It doesn't live up to the Edelweiss that I enjoyed on a hot day a couple of weeks back.

JustTheSam